Optionally attachable, permanently fixed two piece cap and container apparatus

ABSTRACT

A pharmaceutical storing and dispensing device including a child resistant mode and a non-child resistant mode between the container and the closure. The closure comprises a non-child resistant cap shaped to removeably engage the container and a child-resistant cap shaped to be permanently fixed to the non-resistant cap. The non-child resistant cap and child resistant cap are provided in intentionally varying quantities such that the quantity of child resistant caps is less than the quantity of non-child resistant caps.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser.No. 11/420,348 filed May 25, 2006, and entitled “AN OPTIONALLYATTACHABLE, PERMANENTLY FIXED TWO PIECE CONTAINER CAP”.

All patents and publications described or discussed herein are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a closure and container system, orclosure and container assembly, for pharmaceuticals. The closureincludes child resistant and non-child resistant configurations. Thepharmaceuticals system can provide an obstacle for children to removethe closure from the container in the child resistant configuration,while allowing for the ready removal of the closure from the containerin the non-child resistant configuration. The closure includes twoseparate pieces that are designed to be optionally attachable, yetpermanently fixed once the pieces are attached. The decision to attachthese pieces is preferably made by a person other than the manufacturer,supplier, or distributor of the closure and container system.

There are many types of child resistant closure systems described in theart. An example of a particular type of child resistant closure systemis proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,078, which relates to a combinationof a container and safety cap. While many child resistant capseffectively provide protection against the danger of small childrenbeing able to remove potentially harmful contents, e.g. pills, fromvials or other containers, they also provide a problem for aconsiderable portion of the adult population that require medication butlack the manual dexterity or strength to remove the child resistant cap.This is of a particular concern to the elderly population or peoplesuffering from arthritis and other disabling diseases.

The most popular type of child-resistant closure is known in the art asa continuous threaded, torque actuated child resistant closure. Thesecaps involve the use of two parts, one of which rests above the other inan axial configuration and which requires both a rotational and downwardaction to engage for removal. These are used in literally thousands ofvarious applications and packaging configurations due to the universallyunderstood push and turn mechanisms and ease of use and adaptation in awide variety of automated filing lines and processes. They have becomethe most prominent and widely accepted solution for packaging requiringchild resistant closures. Therefore, any invention designed to overcomethe difficulty many senior members of the population experience whenattempting to open child-resistant closures should preferably involve,as the basis of its design, a standard two piece, push and turn, torqueactuated continuous threaded closure due to their popularity anduniversal use.

This particular problem has been addressed by the development of closuresystems having a child resistant mode and a non-child resistant modesuch that, in the non-child resistant mode, the closures are more easilyopened by adults. Another example of such a closure is disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,579,934, (the '934 patent). The '934 patent proposes acontainer closure that is selectively manipulatable between aconfiguration which resists opening by children and a configurationwhich may be easily opened without special manipulation of the closure.Specifically, the closure is manipulated into its non-child resistantmode by “pressing down” on the central portion of the top surface of theclosure. Although the aforementioned closure provides an advance in theart of protection against the danger of small children being able toremove it from vials or other containers, a certain portion of the adultpopulation lack the manual dexterity or strength to “press down” thecentral portion of the top surface of the closure so as to manipulatethe closure from its child resistant configuration to its non-childresistant configuration. This manipulation or “pushing down” alsorepresents a problem for people with long fingernails.

Other reversible or convertible child resistant closures have beenproposed to address this problem. However, these solutions, while makingthe closure easier to convert into the non-child resistantconfiguration, increase the risk that the closures will inadvertently beconverted into their non-child resistant configurations. Similarly,there is an increased risk that automated filling machines willinadvertently convert the closures into their non-child resistantconfigurations when applying the closure to the container.

The other form of pharmaceutical closures in the prior art that isconvertible between child resistant and non-child resistant moderequires the use of two separate caps that are not designed to beintegrated into a single cap. These prior art closures require that auser replace the non-child resistant cap with a child resistant cap, orvice a versa, in order for the closure to switch between child resistantand non-child resistant modes. This requires a pharmacy to maintain twoinventories of caps adding costs to the end price for consumers.

Further, the closures of the type disclosed in the '934 patent cannotinclude a warning to the consumer once the closure has been converted toits non-child resistant configuration. This message is required by theConsumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) to alert users that theclosure has been converted into the non-child resistant configuration.Also, other reversible child resistant designs that do include the CPSCconsumer warning cannot be used in automated dispensing equipment due toprojections on their outer surface.

Furthermore, the prior art has shortcomings in the development of childresistant caps including two or more cap elements. For example, an innercap element nested within an outer cap element and being equipped withan engaging device for rotatably coupling one cap element to the other,as proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,938, has a substantial risk thatchildren could separate one cap from the other (“shelling”) therebydisabling the child resistance mode of operation, especially when theouter cap is made of resilient material such as plastic. Once shelled,there is usually no other safeguard to prevent access to the contents ofthe container.

Additionally, the multiple element prior art pharmaceutical caps thatallow conversion between child resistant and non-child resistantconfigurations are all provided preassembled. For example, any of theprior art pharmaceutical caps that combine one or more elements into asingle cap are provided, or sold, as complete, assembled units and notas individual elements. As such, these prior art convertiblepharmaceutical caps require the purchase of an assembled, two elementcap regardless of whether or not a convertible cap is actually desired.The end user does not have a choice of the characteristics of the caps.This increases the cost of the pharmaceutical cap, which is eitherpassed on to the consumer or absorbed by the manufacturer.

In light of the foregoing, there is a need for a closure and containersystem that has both a child resistant and non-child resistant mode. Thenon-child resistant mode is preferably easy opened without specialmanipulation, while in the child-resistant mode the system resists anyconversion between the two modes. The system should be able to achieve achild-resistant mode that can be optionally obtained by a party otherthan the manufacturer, such as the pharmacy or the end user, but onceobtained should be substantially permanently fixed in that mode. It isnot currently contemplated, in either the literature or the industry, toprovide pharmaceutical caps to pharmacies or end users as unattachedseparate elements designed to be integrated into a single cap at theoption of the pharmacies or end users.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a closure that can substantiallyobviate one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantagesof the related art. Additional features and advantages of the inventionwill be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will beapparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of theinvention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will befurther realized and attained by the apparatus particularly pointed outin the written description and claims hereof as well as in the appendeddrawings.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with thepurposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described,pharmaceutical storing and dispensing device having a closure and acontainer is taught. The pharmaceutical storing and dispensing deviceincludes a child resistant mode and a non-child resistant mode betweenthe container and the closure.

The closure comprises a non-child resistant element, or cap, shaped toremoveably engage the container and a child-resistant element, or cap,shaped to be permanently fixed to the non-child resistant cap. Thenon-child resistant cap and child resistant element are providedseparately based upon consumer demand and desired cap characteristics.

A method of providing a pharmaceutical container and a pharmaceuticalcap for the container is taught. The method comprises providing at leastone container shaped to hold pharmaceuticals, providing at least onenon-child resistant cap shaped to removably engage the container, andproviding at least one unattached child resistant element shaped to bepermanently fixed to the non-child resistant cap.

A method of selling pharmaceutical containers and pharmaceutical capsfor the containers to a pharmacy is also taught. The method comprisesselling a plurality of containers shaped to hold pharmaceuticals,selling a plurality of non-child resistant caps shaped to removablyengage the containers, and optionally selling a plurality of unattachedchild resistant elements shaped to be permanently fixed to the non-childresistant caps.

In one embodiment, the non-child resistant cap and child resistantelement can be used in intentionally varying quantities such that thequantity of child resistant elements used is less than the quantity ofnon-child resistant caps used. The containers and non-child resistantcaps can be delivered in a first quantity while the child resistantelements can be delivered in a second quantity which is less than thefirst quantity. This intentional separation in supply or use isfacilitated by the capability of a subsequent party, such as a pharmacy,to determine if one of the child resistant elements will be permanentlyfixed to one of the non-child resistant caps in conjunction with thesupply of the pharmaceutical system to the ultimate consumer.

The current invention further includes allowing the pharmacy todetermine if or when the child resistant element is permanently fixed toone of the non-child resistant caps. This determination can occur at thepharmacy and can be individual for each child resistant element.Additionally, this determination can be by the actual person wanting thepharmaceuticals to be placed in a container, such as the endpharmaceutical customer, or the person having the prescription filled.

Additionally, if the original quantitative determination of the amountof child resistant elements needed is inaccurate, a third quantity ofchild resistant elements can be subsequently delivered to meet anyadditional need or demand for a complete child resistant pharmaceuticalsystem at a given location.

As such, it is a general object of the present invention to provide amethod of delivering a pharmaceutical system including pharmaceuticalcontainers and pharmaceutical caps for the containers to the pharmacy.

Another object of the present invention is to deliver a pharmaceuticalsystem having a container and at least two cap elements that areunattached when the pharmaceutical system is delivered.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide varyingquantities of independent elements optionally attachable to comprise apharmaceutical cap and corresponding to a given quantity ofpharmaceutical containers.

Another object of the present invention is to supply child resistantelements separately from non-child resistant elements, wherein both ofthe elements are to be used in conjunction with a pharmaceuticalcontainer.

Yet another object of the present invention is to supply a non-childresistant cap that cost less than an assembled convertible dual purposechild resistant/non-child resistant cap for a given pharmaceuticalcontainer

Another object of the present invention is provide a pharmaceutical caphaving at least two attachable elements wherein the elements are sold invarying quantities based upon pharmaceutical consumer needs or desires.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide apharmaceutical system that allows the end pharmaceutical user todetermine whether the system will be child resistant.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceuticalsystem that allows a pharmacy to decide whether the system will be childresistant.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceuticalsystem comprising a container, a child resistant element and a non-childresistant cap wherein the child resistant element can be selectively andpermanently fixed to the non-child resistant cap to make thepharmaceutical system child resistant.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art uponreading of the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and areintended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitutepart of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of theinvention and together with the description serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a flowchart indicating an example of the delivery methodologyassociated with the current disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a flowchart of a delivery methodology as disclosed herein.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a pharmaceutical system including acontainer with a non-child resistant cap engaging a child resistant cap.

FIG. 2B is a side view similar to FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a perspective view similar to FIGS. 2A-B.

FIG. 3A is a top view of a container made in accordance with the currentdisclosure.

FIG. 3B is a bottom view of the container in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of the container similar to FIGS.3A-B.

FIG. 3D is a perspective view of the container shown in FIGS. 3A-C.

FIG. 4A is a bottom perspective view of a child resistant element madein accordance with the current disclosure.

FIG. 4B is a top perspective view of the child resistant element of FIG.4A.

FIG. 4C is a top view of a child resistant element shown in FIGS. 4A-B.

FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 4C.

FIG. 4E is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. 4C.

FIG. 4F is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F of FIG. 4C.

FIG. 4G is a side view of the child resistant element shown in FIGS.4A-4F.

FIG. 5A is a top view of a non-child resistant cap made in accordancewith the current disclosure.

FIG. 5B is a close-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C is a top perspective view of the non-child resistant cap shownin FIGS. 5A-5B.

FIG. 5D is a bottom perspective view of the non-child resistant capshown in FIGS. 5A-5C.

FIG. 5E is a side view of the non-child resistant cap shown in FIGS.5A-B.

FIG. 5F is an alternate top perspective view of the non-child resistantcap shown in FIGS. 5A-B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Included herein is a method of delivering pharmaceutical containers 12and pharmaceutical caps 14 and 16 for the containers 12 to a pharmacy.The container 12 and caps 14 and 16 can be described as a pharmaceuticalsystem 10. The method includes providing at least one container 12 tohold pharmaceuticals, providing at least one non-child resistant cap 14(NCR Cap) shaped to removeably engage the container 12, and providing atleast one unattached child resistant element 16, or child resistant cap16, (CR Element) shaped to be permanently fixed to the NCR cap 14.

A method of selling pharmaceutical containers 12 and pharmaceuticalcaps, comprising 14 and 16, for the containers 12 to a pharmacy is alsotaught. The method comprises selling a plurality of containers 12 shapedto hold pharmaceuticals, selling a plurality of non-child resistant caps14 shaped to removably engage the containers 12, and optionally sellinga plurality of unattached child resistant elements 16 shaped to bepermanently fixed to the non-child resistant caps 14. The CR Elements 16are designed to be integrated with the NCR Cap 14 and preferably includea design that lacks the capacity to be attached to the container 12independent of the NCR Cap 14.

The steps of providing or selling the plurality of unattached CRElements 16 is preferably based upon the use of those CR Elements 16 bythe pharmacy or pharmaceutical user. This use can be quantified by thefact that one of the NCR caps 14 is used with each container 12 whileone of the CR Elements 16 is optionally used based upon consumer drivendemand.

As such, the second quantity of CR Elements 16 can be less than thefirst quantity of NCR caps 14 and containers 12. For example, in oneembodiment the quantity of CR Elements 16 is approximately less than 50%of the quantity of NCR Caps 14. In alternate embodiment, the secondquantity of CR Elements 16 is approximately less than 20% of the firstquantity of NCR caps 14. Additionally, a third quantity of CR Elements16 can be delivered subsequently to the delivery of the second quantitysuch that the third quantity of the CR Elements 16 is less than thesecond quantity of CR Elements 16.

These variances in quantities are facilitated by the option of asubsequent party, such as the pharmacy, pharmacist, pharmaceuticalcustomer, medical prescription patient, and the like, to decide whetherthe pharmaceutical system 10 has child resistant capabilities. Namely,an individual substantially unrelated to the manufacture of thepharmaceutical system 10 has the ability to decide whether theindividual elements of pharmaceutical system 10 are assembled. Thisability to decide facilitates the ability of a person or entity toestablish post-manufacture, and more specifically, after thepharmaceutical system 10 leaves the manufacturer's control, whether thepharmaceutical system 10 will have child resistant characteristics.

Alternately stated, at least the first user of the pharmaceutical systemhas the capability of deciding whether to assemble the child resistantelement 16 with the non-child resistant cap 14 in order to make apharmaceutical system 10 comprising a container 12, non-child resistantcap 14 and child resistant element 16. This combination would make thepharmaceutical system 10 child resistant. Alternately, at least thatfirst user of the pharmaceutical system can decide not to attach thechild resistant element 16 to the non-child resistant cap 14 thus makingthe pharmaceutical system not possess child resistant characteristicsand comprise the container 12 and the non-child resistant cap 14 withoutthe child resistant element 16.

The current method is further enhanced by the fact that at least thefirst user of the pharmaceutical system 10 after manufactured controlhas been relinquished has the ability to determine the characteristicsof the pharmaceutical system 10. For example, a pharmacy can decide topreassemble NCR Caps 14 on containers 12 and decide on an individualbasis whether any of those preassembled combinations will have achild-resistant element 16. Additionally, the determination can be bythe pharmaceutical patient who can choose not to have child resistantcharacteristics in their pharmaceutical system due to a lack of smallchildren at their home that could be exposed to a potential health riskby the pharmaceuticals in the pharmaceutical system 10 or the inabilityto open a child resistant system.

An advantage of the methods taught by this disclosure includes the factthat the pharmacy can reduce costs by only supplying a child resistantpharmaceutical system when desired by the ultimate consumer. Thisreduces the amount of overhead to the pharmacy, storage capacity needfor the pharmaceutical systems, and the material amounts associated witheach pharmaceutical system 10, thereby reducing the overall costs to thepharmacy.

Additionally, an end user that has difficulty opening a child resistantpharmaceutical system can option to not have this characteristic. Forexample, this is very useful for pharmaceutical patients that sufferfrom arthritis in their hands, have other physical ailments that do notfacilitate operating the child-resistant mechanisms on pharmaceuticalsystems, or otherwise do not need a system with child resistantcharacteristics.

However, if a child resistant pharmaceutical system is desired, thechild resistant element 16 is designed to be permanently fixed to thenon-child resistant cap 14. This reduces any unwanted shelling orremoval of the child resistant element 16 from the non-child resistantcap 14 thereby facilitating the safe characteristics of a childresistant pharmaceutical system 10 and protecting at risk individualsfrom unwanted access to the pharmaceuticals contained therein.

These inventive methods are facilitated by the construction of thepharmaceutical system 10. In a preferred embodiment the NCR Cap 14, asexampled in FIGS. 5A-5F, includes an attachment device 18, which can bea single thread, double thread, one or more beads, or other similarattachment methods known in the art. The attachment device 18 interactswith the fastener 20 on the container 12 in conventional manners tosecure the NCR Cap 14 to the container 12. The bottom 22 of NCR Cap 14can rest on the angular ring 24 on the neck 26 of the container 12.Alternately, and more preferably, the bottom 22 can be suspended abovethe angular ring 24 by the attachment device 18 and the fastener 20. TheNCR Cap 14 can include a gripping element 28, such as knurlments, toprovide a gripping surface for opening the NCR Cap 14.

The child resistant element 16 is exampled in FIGS. 4A-4G. The CRElement 16 can include gripping elements 30, which can also be describedas knurlments, used to facilitate the rotation of the CR Element 16.Additionally, indicia 32 can be printed on the top surface 34 of the CRElement 16, wherein the indicia give instructions on how to open the CRElement 16. The CR Element 16 is shown in the Figures having an open top34, but alternately can have a solid top not allowing view of the NCRCap 14. The rim 36 shown in FIGS. 4A-4F can be used to cover indicia(not shown) on the NCR Cap 14. Those indicia on the NCR Cap 14 caninclude such warnings as “Caution Not Child Resistant.” The rim 36 canbe designed to cover the indicia on the NCR Cap 14. The top 34, ifsolid, can cover any indicia on the NCR Cap 14 when the CR Element 16and NCR Cap 14 are attached.

The CR Element 16 includes at least one protrusion 38, which can bedescribed as an internal tab, engaging the bottom 22 of the NCR Cap 14.The internal tabs 38 are angled and include a substantially flat surface40 that engages the bottom 22 of the NCR Cap 14 to fix the CR Element 16to the NCR Cap 14. In a preferred embodiment there are four internaltabs 38 spaced around the internal wall 42 of the CR Element 16. Theangled portion 39 of the tabs 38 facilitates the CR Element 16traversing the external wall (referring to wall with knurlments 28thereon) of the NCR Cap 14.

The height of the NCR Cap 14 can be less than the distance from the flatsurface 40 to the top 34. This spatial configuration facilitates theselective engagement of teeth 46 positioned near the engagement betweenthe internal wall 42 and top 34 of the CR Element 16. The teeth 46interact with corresponding teeth 48 on the NCR Cap 14. The teeth 48 ofthe NCR Cap 14 are positioned opposite the bottom 22 and near the top 50of the NCR Cap 14. The teeth 48 can be an extension of the knurlments28, or can be separate items on the NCR Cap 14.

In operation, since the height of the NCR Cap 14 is less than thedistance between the flat surface 40 and the teeth 46 of the CR Element16, simply trying to turn the CR Element 16 without a depressive forcewill facilitate a traversing motion of the teeth 46 across the teeth 48.Without pressure applied in a downward direction on the CR Element 16,the teeth 46 CR Element 16 will not engage the teeth 48 on the NCR Cap14. As such the NCR Cap 14, which is attached to the container will notrotate and open. However, when the downward pressure is applied to theCR Element 16 the teeth 46 engage the teeth 48 of the NCR Cap 14 torotate and become disengaged from the container 12 to allow access tothe pharmaceuticals therein.

An advantage of this current system is the fact that the conversion of apharmaceutical system 10 from a system having non-child resistantcharacteristics to a system having child resistant characteristics doesnot require the replacement of parts within the pharmaceutical system10. The current disclosure teaches that the selective addition of achild resistant cap that can be affixed to a non-child resistant capadds to the pharmaceutical system a child resistant characteristic.

Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of thepresent invention of a new and useful An Optionally Attachable,Permanently Fixed Two Piece Container Cap, it is not intended that suchreferences be construed as limitations upon the scope of this inventionexcept as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A prescription pharmaceutical container apparatusfor containing and dispensing by a pharmacy prescription pharmaceuticalsto a customer of the pharmacy, the container apparatus comprising: aprescription container for containing the pharmaceuticals and havingthreads; a non-child resistant cap attachable to the prescriptioncontainer and having threads configured to screw onto the threads of theprescription container, and a child resistant element that is separatefrom the non-child resistant cap and is configured to slide over and bepermanently non-reversibly assembled with the non-child resistant cap ata time proximate a time of purchase of the pharmaceuticals by thecustomer of the pharmacy to permanently non-reversibly convert thenon-child resistant cap to a child resistant cap, the child resistantelement being provided to the pharmacy unattached to the non-childresistant cap; the child resistant element, when assembled with thenon-child resistant cap, being configured to rotate with respect to thenon-child resistant cap in a first mode of operation; the childresistant element, when assembled with the non-child resistant cap,being configured to engage the non-child resistant cap in response to adepressive force in a second mode of operation and drive the non-childresistant cap in a rotating motion in a direction to unscrew the cap, sothat the non-child resistant cap and the child resistant element areselectively assembled at the option of the pharmacy based on a decisionof the customer.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-childresistant cap is a cap having an external sidewall and a bottom portion,and the child resistant element has an interior sidewall that is sizedto receive the external sidewall of the non-child resistant cap andincludes an internal tab having a first surface that is angled tofacilitate the interior sidewall of the child resistant elementtraversing the external sidewall of the non-child resistant cap duringassembly of the child resistant element with the non-child resistantcap, and the internal tab includes a second surface that engages thebottom portion of the non-child resistant cap to permanentlynon-reversibly fix the child resistant element to the non-childresistant cap.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the child resistantelement includes a plurality of spaced apart internal tabs.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 3, wherein the child resistant element includes fourspaced apart internal tabs.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thechild resistant element has a closed top not allowing viewing of thenon-child resistant cap.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the childresistant element has an open top allowing viewing of a first portion ofthe non-child resistant cap and covering a second portion of thenon-child resistant cap.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the childresistant element has an open top allowing viewing of a portion of thenon-child resistant cap and covering a portion of the non-childresistant cap and wherein the non-child resistant cap has indicia on thesecond portion of the non-child resistant cap that is covered and notviewable when the child resistant element is assembled with thenon-child resistant cap.
 8. A prescription pharmaceutical containerapparatus for containing and dispensing by a pharmacist prescriptionpharmaceuticals to a customer of the pharmacy, the container apparatuscomprising: a prescription container for containing the pharmaceuticalsand having a threaded opening; a non-child resistant cap having a top,an external sidewall, a bottom portion, a height defined between the topand the bottom portion, and an interior threaded sidewall for engagingthe threaded opening of the prescription container; a child resistantelement separated from the non-child resistant cap and being configuredto be permanently non-reversibly assembled with the non-child resistantcap at a time proximate a time of purchase of the pharmaceuticals topermanently non-reversibly convert the non-child resistant cap to achild resistant cap, the child resistant element being provided to thepharmacy separated from the non-child resistant cap, the child resistantelement including a top with an interior and exterior surface, the childresistant element including an interior sidewall extending downwardlyfrom the interior surface of the top, the interior sidewall being sizedto receive the external sidewall of the non-child resistant cap, theinterior sidewall including a plurality of spaced apart internal tabs,each tab having a first surface that is angled to facilitate theinterior sidewall of the child resistant element traversing the externalsidewall of the non-child resistant cap during assembly of the childresistant element with the non-child resistant cap, and each internaltab including a second surface configured to engage the bottom portionof the non-child resistant cap when the child resistant element isassembled to the non-child resistant cap; the child resistant elementhaving a distance defined between the second surfaces of the internaltabs and the interior surface of the top of the child resistant elementthat is greater than the height of the non-child resistant cap; thechild resistant element including driving structures proximate theinterior surface of the top of the child resistant element; thenon-child resistant cap including driven structures proximate anexterior surface of the top of the non-child resistant cap; and thedriving structures and the driven structures being configured to removethe non-child resistant cap from the container when the non-childresistant cap is installed on the container with the child resistantelement assembled therewith in response to a user applying a depressiveforce to engage the driving structures with the driven structures androtating the child resistant element to unthread the non-child resistantcap from the container.
 9. The container apparatus of claim 8, whereinthe driving structures traverse the driven structures in the absence ofthe depressive force being applied to the child resistant element. 10.The container apparatus of claim 8, wherein the driving structurescomprise teeth and the driven structures comprise teeth that are engagedby the driving structures when a depressive force is applied to thechild resistant element.
 11. A pharmaceutical container apparatusprovided to a pharmacy for containing and dispensing prescriptionpharmaceuticals to a customer of the pharmaceuticals, the containerapparatus comprising: a prescription container for containing thepharmaceuticals and having a threaded opening; a non-child resistant caphaving a top, a sidewall integral with the top and having an interiorsidewall surface and an exterior sidewall surface; an engagement surfacelocated on the sidewall, threads formed on the interior surface of thesidewall configured for engaging the threaded opening of theprescription container; and a child resistant element separated from thenon-child resistant cap, the child resistant element being configured tobe permanently non-reversibly assembled with the non-child resistant capat a time proximate a time of purchase of the pharmaceuticals from thepharmacy to permanently non-reversibly convert the non-child resistantcap to a child resistant cap; the child resistant element including atop with an interior and exterior surface and including a sidewallextending away from the interior surface of the top, the sidewall of thechild resistant element being sized to receive the sidewall of thenon-child resistant cap; the sidewall of the child resistant elementincluding a plurality of spaced apart tabs, each tab having a firstsurface that is angled relative to the sidewall of the child resistantelement, and each internal tab including a second surface, the secondsurfaces of the tabs being configured to continuously engage theengagement surface and hold the child resistant element on the non-childresistant cap, the engagement surface being configured to permanentlynon-reversibly engage the tabs to continuously resist removal of thechild resistant element from the non-child resistant cap; the childresistant element including driving structures proximate the interiorsurface of the top of the child resistant element; and the non-childresistant cap including driven structures proximate an exterior surfaceof the top of the non-child resistant cap, so that to remove thenon-child resistant cap from the container when the non-child resistantcap is installed on the container with the child resistant elementassembled therewith, a user must apply pressure to the child resistantelement in a direction to engage the driving structures of the childresistant element with the driven structures of the non-child resistantcap and rotate child resistant element to unthread the non-childresistant cap from the container; whereby, the child resistant elementmay be selectively assembled at the pharmacy.